As
human beings, as people, and as Jews, marriage and Jewishness must be nurtured
as must plants.Flowers die if they
are not watered, not fed.Even
grass dies if no sun and no aqua is available.

Marriages
die if love is not freely given.Love
and caring are the essentials of a lasting and permanent union.In a poor marriage there is death, a dying of the spirit, of the caring
that is essential for its growth.Not
given, there is unhappiness and ultimately divorce.The partner must often come before the self in the giving,
the caring, the extending of oneself to the other.There must be a meeting of the heart, the mind,the soul.Love is shown in
doing for the other, of ignoring his/her flaws, the shortcomings.The partner must give in good times and in bad, in age as well as in
youth, in sickness or in health (as the blessings under the Chuppah are made, or
the marriage vows).So many couples
have said them and so many have broken them. Each partner must find the other
unique and special; “bei mir bisst du schön”
- “in my eyes you are beautiful” - has to be felt no matter how the
person impresses others.

The
same is true of Judaism and Jewishness.Without
the culture, the inner feelings, the broches (blessings), the practices and
ceremonies, the unique expressions,“the
mama loschen” - “the language of mother” that has been a part of our
life from its very beginnings cannot suddenly appear in one who is an outsider
to the faith, of the very fiber, of the “Mensch” in question.

A
healthy Jewish marriage is one of strength, of happiness, of feeling loved and
cherished, of security.Knowing
that each can be him or her self, feel enhanced and accepted.

Historically,
because of hatred, bigotry, and anti-Semitism, security was never one of the
attributes that Jews had.They were
for the most part the FIDDLERS ON THE ROOF.Anti-Semitism underscored this fact.Many Jews attempted to change that by intermarrying, by joining their
enemies, and believing what their aggressors had labeled them.They went so far as to go one against the other, worsening
the plight of their fellow religionists, their brothers.“Hine matov umanayim, shevet achim gam yachad” (see how
good and beautiful when brothers hold hands) had no meaning to them.In short, they are self destructive.They want desperately to be seen as “liberal,”as “free.”In truth,
they hate their heritage, their parents, their forebears, and ultimately
themselves.

There
are many Jews who have supported with money, with votes, with propaganda, folks
like Jimmy Carter and now Barack Obama.These
folks hate Jews.They were ready to
take the money and votes from the Jewish population.Theseenemieswant to destroy Israel, the only escape,the
small plot of land Yerusholayim (Jerusalem) wherepersecuted Jews can flee when battered and faced with death.

To
be truly liberal, one must be able to accept humanity with all of its flaws,
religions, and qualities.

Good
Jews must be good people; must be able to give to the needy, to respect
themselves and others, to follow the ten commandments, and be loving in words
and deeds.Are not these same attributes what a good marriage is also
about?!!